England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
